Last year, Chris Stockman–the original design director for Saints Row–told fans that he was working on a pitch to return the franchise to its roots. Now, Stockman isn’t holding out much hope for a revival and believes the franchise is “dead.”
Stockman made his original remarks on Discord, which have since been posted on X (via Eurogamer). “I think the franchise is dead, unfortunately,” wrote Stockman. “I get the sense that Embracer has zero ability to do anything with it. I wish things were different. I tried my best to offer a path forward, but they’ve ghosted me.”
Remember when we got excited about the prospect of a Saints Row prequel? Well according to Saints Row 1 Design Director Chris Stockman, Embracer is completely ignoring the idea.
Saints Row is once again dead. https://t.co/cpPVcRjxwD pic.twitter.com/FWpjC6kmkT— rpg! (@papaRPG) February 20, 2026
The most recent game in the series was the 2022 Saints Row reboot, which under-performed compared to its predecessors. In 2023, Saints Row developer Volition was shut down by Embracer, and there’s been no concrete news about the franchise since that time.
Although Saints Row’s games were sandbox experiences, Stockman has previously shared his belief that there’s no competing with Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto franchise anymore. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to create something different than GTA.
“The industry is bigger than its ever been in the sense that people hunger for games,” said Stockman. “People hunger for new experiences. I think it’s entirely possible to be a number two, there’s nothing wrong with trying to be a number two if you play your cards right. You don’t go crazy, you be very focused, you don’t look at GTA as a North Star and say, ‘I wanna be that.’ You have a clear identity and this is what you’re trying to do. And you don’t have to be a 100 hour masterpiece, and you just gotta be smart about it.”
There may not be any Saints Row titles on the horizon, but Grand Theft Auto 6 will hit PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 19, 2026.
